Youth organizers and activists were at the center of social movements that defined 2020. Last summer, CHF spoke to a panel of youth activists about their participation in protest movements, community organizing, and mutual aid. Now, for the first Neighborhood program of 2021, youth leaders look back on the formative events of last spring and summer, and share how those experiences continue to influence the work they are doing in their communities. Join CHF for a conversation with Taty Chante (Brave Space Alliance), Oscar Sanchez (Alliance of the Southeast), and Damayanti Wallace (GoodKids MadCity). Educator and multimedia producer Maira Khwaja (Invisible Institute) moderates this panel.
- This program is free to all with registration. Registered guests will receive details on how to access the event via email.
- The conversation will premiere live on YouTube on April 15th at 7pm central time.
- All CHF's virtual events have closed captions. To request another accessible accommodation, such as ASL interpretation or audio description, please reach out to us at access@chicagohumanities.org. We will do our best to accommodate late requests, but to ensure a service provider is available, please try to make your request at least 2 weeks out from the event date.
- This event will be livestreamed with a live Q+A.
- To improve your experience on our website, we are currently building a new ticketing system. In the meantime, you'll notice different ways of registering for upcoming winter events. We know this can be confusing and we appreciate your patience as we build a better platform. Please reach out to tickets@chicagohumanities.org with any questions–we have a small staff and promise to reply as soon as we can!
- Please register to receive a link to the digital event - https://www.chicagohumanities.org/events/youth-leading-change/
This program is presented in partnership with Kennedy-King College.
Taty Chante
Taty Chante is Black, Asian, Non-Binary Transmasc, and Queer. They have been shaped by their upbringing in Seattle and Atlanta and, now, Chicago. They are a founding member and co-secretary of the Chicago Black Drag Council and Mutual Aid Coordinator at Brave Space Alliance. Taty has been an activist since they were 8 years old and have organized demonstrations, events, and resources for LGBTQIA+ folks and POC and they look forward to continuing and expanding their work.
Oscar Sanchez
Oscar Sanchez is a proud-born Southeast Side community member. He is a youth and crime prevention organizer for the Alliance of the Southeast, a coalition member of Southworks CBA, cofounder of the Southeast Response Collective (a mutual aid), and co-founder of the Southeast Youth Alliance.
Damayanti Wallace
Damayanti Wallace is a poet/spoken word artist, screenwriter and youth organizer in Chicago. She is 19 years old and is a sophomore attending Tisch School of the Arts at New York University for Collaborative Arts. Damayanti is one of the founders of GoodKids MadCity, an organization formed to amplify the voices of black and brown youth that were experiencing trauma due to gun violence on a regular basis. Over the past few years she has traveled nationally and internationally using her platform as an artist and activist to promote violence prevention and the promotion of resources in underfunded communities.
Maira Khwaja
Maira Khwaja is an an educator and multimedia producer. At the Invisible Institute, she directs public impact strategy & outreach. Her work centers on the Youth / Police Project, which primarily builds conversations with young people (ages 16-22) on the South Side about their everyday encounters with policing.
More at YouTube
- CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES
- CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD CHECK-IN: YOUTH ACTIVISM
- WHAT'S NEXT: POLITICAL DIVISION
- ELIZABETH KOLBERT: UNDER A WHITE SKY